Exile
by Dida Mac
Summary: This is just a quick one-shot of an alternate ending for the sequel trilogy. Not much substance, just a quick idea that I had.


Just a quick one-shot of an alternate ending to Rise of Skywalker.

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Ben Solo had managed to catch himself as he fell. He started climbing back up toward the fight, to where he could feel Rey stirring. He had to get to her, had to help her. Palpatine had started to attack the Resistance fighters and Ben could feel everything. He could feel the fighter's distress, Palpatine's glee, and Rey's odd sense of calm. He focused on getting to her as that calm turned to determination. Within what felt like moments, he felt the end of the emperor. And then he felt her fall.

"Rey." He said to himself, worried as he pulled himself up to the top of the crevasse. He stumbled as he tried to run to her, unable to move quickly. He focused all of his strength on getting to her one step at a time. When he made it to her, he slid his legs under her torso and pulled her limp form into his lap. Her eyes were open, lifeless. Her arms hung limply from her body.

He pulled her to him in a hug, trying to keep from showing the emotions he was feeling. Some small part of him had thought they would be together after the fight they'd had. He didn't understand what had happened. How she had slipped through his fingers. And yet, as he sat there, he couldn't get away from the fact that she wasn't breathing. He truly had lost her.

He sat up, looking at her again, silently. He put his hand on her stomach, remembering what she'd done for him when she'd stabbed him with the lightsaber. His lightsaber. She'd given him some of her life using the force. He closed his eyes, focusing.

He took a few deep breaths, trying to force his energy to run through his hand into her. He pushed against her stomach. He scrunched his face up from the effort. As much as he tried he couldn't replicate the miracle she'd performed. He let out a sob as he tried again, but she remained still, lifeless.

"You can't do this, Rey." He pleaded. "I've lost everyone else. I can't lose you, too." He opened his eyes only to stare at her face, trying to will her to move on her own, to blink. She continued to stare at him with her glassy eyes. When it became clear to him that he was unable to do as she had done, he hung his head. "I tried, Rey. I…" he shook his head. If he'd continued his training. If he'd learned the things she had, he could have helped her. Instead, it was just another thing he'd failed at. "I just can't." He said. He didn't know how long he sat there, but eventually he made his way to the x-wing she'd flown there.

He carried her aboard and placed her in the small cargo hold, unable to simply leave her there. He started the engine and put the helmet on. Soon, he was flying toward the fighting that was taking place. The first and last thing he heard before cutting off communication was "Red 5 is in the air. Rey's alive.". It was like a knife being twisted in his gut as he followed the other craft silently. They would be able to give Rey a proper burial. She deserved that even if the Resistance would likely kill him as soon as he exited the craft with her.

There was no way they would believe him if he said that he didn't kill her. He'd be lucky to even get a word out. And yet, he found that he didn't care. The war was over. The voices in his head were gone. She was gone. He didn't know if death would really be the worse option. So, when he landed he took a deep breath before slowly exiting the x-wing and gathering up her slight form.

He saw Poe and the former storm trooper, Finn, rushing toward the craft excitedly before they realized what they were seeing. The droids had stopped advancing before the men. Everything was silent as the people around Ben realized what was happening. He stared straight at Finn and Poe trying to force himself to speak as he held Rey, her head and arm limply hanging from her body, her eyes still opened in their glassy stare.

"Rey!" Finn shouted, moving to rush forward as Poe grabbed onto his jacket to keep him from moving. Finn, meanwhile, tried to shrug the jacket off, but was incapable.

"What are you doing here?" Poe asked, defensively. His demeanor was something the former supreme leader hadn't expected. He'd dealt with the fast-talking pilot before. However, Poe had now shut down. He was serious for the first time.

"I tried to save her." Ben said.

"Like hell you did. Poe, he killed her!" Finn shouted as he continued to struggle and Poe pulled him back.

"Finn, stop!" Poe demanded as he turned the former stormtrooper to face him. "Stop." The two stared at each other for a few moments as if having a silent conversation before Finn pulled away again. He didn't leave, but he didn't look at either Ben or Poe. Poe sighed, looking at Ben. "You didn't answer my question. What are you doing here?"

"She deserves to be...with friends." He managed to choke out. "She would have wanted to be with her family for this." He added, his throat threatening to close. He looked down at her, almost losing his nerve.

"So, you're here to...give her to us? Nothing else?" Poe asked, unsure.

Ben nodded. "She gave her life to protect all of you."

"So, suddenly you've grown a conscience? Suddenly you give a damn about what other people want!" Finn asked angrily.

"I care about what she wanted." Ben corrected angrily.

"We should put an end to this, Poe! He's still probably got some followers in the First Order." Finn said.

"Finn, I'm not going to shoot the guy while he's holding Rey." Poe exclaimed. Finn looked at the other man with a range of emotions showing on his face.

"I'm just going to leave her here and go. You'll never have to see me again." Ben said.

"This is Kylo Ren, we're talking about. You really think he's going to actually leave?" Finn asked.

"My name is Ben Solo."

"Oh, now you're Ben Solo. That's great! Just perfect!" Finn said angrily, clearly experiencing too many emotions to fully comprehend.

"You'll leave her and go? No looking back?" Poe asked Ben. Ben nodded silently. "Okay. But we see you again and you won't be leaving."

"I understand." Ben said as Poe approached him warily and Finn watched as if ready to jump in and strike Ben down. As Ben passed Rey to Poe, her body faded, disappearing and leaving only her clothes.

"What did you do?" Finn asked angrily.

"It happened to Leia, too. I think it has to do with the force." Rose said, having just arrived behind the droids. Ben was just as shocked as the others as he stared at the clothes Rey left behind.

Poe just nodded tersely. "You said you'd be leaving…leave." He said simply as he held the clothes close.

"We're really going to let him walk away after everything he did?" Finn asked.

"Yeah, Finn. We are. War's over." He said, turning to leave before darkly adding, "we won."

Ben just nodded slowly as he turned and climbed back into the x-wing. He half expected to be shot down as he was flying away, but soon he found himself flying out of the atmosphere without issue. Not knowing where to go or what to do, he flew aimlessly. That was, until Tatooine showed up on his radar.

He knew that was where his grandfather was from, where Luke grew up. He flew to the hydro farm Luke grew up on, seeing how destroyed it was. He sighed, resolving to live out his exile there, a simple existence.


End file.
